Just how well do Charlotte and Washington know each other?

Their coaches are Old Dominion alums. One half of the Miller twins suits up for each team. And they just played each other on Tuesday in the regular-season finale, a Charlotte win that earned the Sting the East's No. 2 seed.

Charlotte Sting
East seed: 2. Record: 18-14. Home record: 11-5. Streak: Won 4.
Last 10: 5-5. Points for: 70.0. Points against: 66.7.

Skinny: The Sting are a tremendous 3-point shooting team, and with four players -- Andrea Stinson, Allison Feaster, Dawn Staley and Kelly Miller -- making at least 41 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc, Charlotte has more offensive firepower than ever before. The Sting, who rank third in the league in scoring, seem to focus on matching your two-point buckets with 3-point baskets, and so far, they've done a good job with that offensive tactic, sinking a WNBA single-season record 211 3-pointers (topping the old mark of 204 by Minnesota in 2000). Charlotte, which shoots 40.3 percent from beyond the arc, has attempted 527 3-pointers this season (as compared to its opponents' 372 3-point attempts) and scored 633 points from downtown.

However, the Sting seem to have heavy legs lately. Coach Anne Donovan's preseason training camp in May was one of the toughest I've seen. It was a demanding camp, and I really liked the format, but now Charlotte's team members appear to be a bit fatigued. Yes, they were able to rally for wins over New York and Detroit, but when you're tired as a shooter, the first thing you lose is your legs.

Washington Mystics
East seed: 3. Record: 17-15. Home: 9-7. Streak: Lost 1.
Last 10: 2-8. Points for: 66.7. Points against: 66.1.

Skinny: The Mystics dominated the first half of the season but have been incredibly inconsistent since the All-Star break. Washington's woes seem to stem from a lack of chemistry and offensive balance, two things that crept up on the Mystics especially after Chamique Holdsclaw's injury, which sidelined her for 11 games. Although she's back on the court, things still seem a little disrupted.

The two big things you need this time of season are confidence and playoff experience. The Mystics lack both. Washington seemed to gain a bit of confidence after the win over New York at Madison Square Garden, but then fell apart the next night at home. To notch any postseason wins, Washington needs to be aggressive and get to the foul line, and Holdsclaw can't settle for jumpers. She needs to attack the basket and jump start this offense.

Playoff schedule
Aug. 15: Charlotte at Washington, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Aug. 17: Washington at Charlotte, noon ET, ESPN
Aug. 19: Washington at Charlotte, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 (if necessary)

Season series
June 19: At Charlotte 78, Washington 64
June 30: At Washington 56, Charlotte 55
Aug. 13: At Charlotte 67, Washington 57

1: Dawn Staley vs. Annie Burgess

	Burgess

	Staley

Staley, Charlotte: An amazing leader, Staley once again leads the Sting in assists. Staley missed most of training camp, but that hasn't mattered. She's just a great veteran who plays with a lot of poise and has put in a steady season.
Burgess, Washington: In 26 starts, Burgess has been solid and steady, quietly doing her job -- running the ball around, pushing tempo and hitting the outside shot when she should. She only averages 3.6 points per game, but she takes care of the ball and rarely turns it over (just 1.6 turnovers a game).
Advantage: Staley. She's a veteran loaded with playoff experience (12 starts) that would overshadow just about any point guard in the league.

2: Allison Feaster vs. Coco Miller

	Miller

	Feaster

Feaster, Charlotte: A great defender, Feaster also can be effective offensively. She's averaging 11.6 points and shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc, and is truly the catalyst behind Charlotte's lethal 3-point shooting. She's 79-for-189 from beyond the arc.
Miller, Washington: One of the candidates for Comeback Player of the Year, Miller has really come into her own after a disappointing rookie season that saw her average just 6.9 minutes and 1.7 points. This summer, she has boosted her scoring average to 9.5 points and has started every game of the season. Miller's confidence is up, and she's shooting 37 percent from 3-point range and grabbing nearly four rebounds. And she's all over the place on defense.
Advantage: Feaster. She's a fourth-year player with 16 playoff games on her résumé who has nailed 75 3-pointers this season.

3: Andrea Stinson vs. Stacey Dales-Schuman

	Dales-Schuman

	Stinson

Stinson, Charlotte: This All-Star can shoot and score from anywhere, sinking 46 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc. She's second on the team in assists (2.8), leads Charlotte in scoring (13 ppg) and grabs nearly six rebounds a game. She doesn't turn the ball over and she's also very consistent. And when you need a big bucket, you can count on Stinson to create her own shot as well as anyone in the league.
Dales-Schuman, Washington: Another rookie who has had a very good year, Dales-Schuman is averaging 10 points per game and shooting the ball fairly well (39 percent from 3-point range, 41 percent from field). She has struggled slightly lately, however, but should be happy with her overall rookie performance.
Advantage: Stinson. She's a veteran with supreme confidence who doesn't worry about anything but getting it done for her team. Some of her shots are pretty amazing.

4: Charlotte Smith vs. Chamique Holdsclaw

	Holdsclaw

	Smith

Smith, Charlotte: I love everything about her game. She has worked very hard to improve, and has went from simply being a 4 who could jump over you to a player who can shoot the 3 (almost 38 percent from downtown). Smith's also a very tough defender and a great rebounder who gets a lot of hustle baskets.
Holdsclaw, Washington: Despite missing about one-third of the season because of ankle injuries, Holdsclaw has been incredible. At one point she was leading the league in scoring and rebounding (she's still averaging about 20 points and 12 rebounds), and definitely should be considered an MVP candidate. Holdsclaw also is shooting 46 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3-point range.
Advantage: Holdsclaw. She overcame the ankle injuries and the death of her grandma. She's got everything in her game.

5: Tammy Sutton-Brown vs. Vicky Bullett

	Bullett

	Sutton-Brown

Sutton-Brown, Charlotte: She's improved tremendously from a year ago, and Sutton-Brown really gets down low and provides a great target for her teammates. She's worked a lot on finishing since she left Rutgers, and is now second on the team in scoring with an 11.7 average and shoots 53 percent from the field. Her only weaknesses are foul trouble (averages four fouls a game) and rebounding. For a player who averages 27 minutes, she should be able to grab more than 5.9 boards a night.
Bullett, Washington: She's a smart, cagey veteran who gives you everything she can, which translates into averages of 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds. She can shoot the 3 (41 percent) and take advantage at the foul line (82 percent), and is one of the best post defenders I've seen -- she has an uncanny skill of being able to watch the ball come off the fingertips of the passer and then step around you and get the ball during the flight of the pass. Bullett's also a great offensive rebounder who's constantly moving.
Advantage: Sutton-Brown. She's as good as any post in the league at being able to get position on you.

Bench
Erin Buescher, Kelly Miller (who's increased her scoring average by five points and is shooting a league-best 47 percent from 3-point range) and Shalonda Enis (who's averaged 5.7 points in three games since returning from the injured list) give the Sting some quality reserves, but the Mystics' balance has been impressive all season. Ten Washington players are averaging at least 11 minutes, so the Mystics have done a good job of spreading the wealth and giving a lot of people some quality time. And remember that Washington's bench includes Asjha Jones, who has had a very good rookie year, Murriel Page and Helen Luz, a great 3-point shooter.
Advantage: Washington.

Coaches

	Stanley

	Donovan

Anne Donovan, Charlotte: She took the Sting to the playoffs a year ago, and has even more firepower this season. Donovan has Charlotte playing very patiently. She wants to reduce mistakes and has a more conservative game plan.
Marianne Stanley, Washington: She lets her team play much more freely, sort of a risk-reward style of basketball. Stanley really believes in her players and tells them to take the open shot if they have it. She also likes to rebound and run, and because just about everybody on the team can take the ball off the glass and go, it's working. This is a fun team to watch.
Advantage: Charlotte. A year ago, the Sting were in the WNBA finals. They also boast more veterans than the Mystics.

ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman is a former WNBA coach, general manager and player. She is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage.